used-to-be
No longer is
A used-to-be is something or someone that once held a position, status, or quality but no longer does: He's a used-to-be rock star now selling insurance.
The term emphasizes decline or obsolescence, often with a note of dismissiveness or pity.
Compare has-been, which carries similar connotations but is more established.
Previous romantic partner
- erstwhilePreviously but not now
- formerlyIn the past
- has-beenFormer notable, now irrelevant
- oldExisting many years
previous · past · one-time · sometime · quondam · lapsed · retired · fallen
No longer present
- vanishedDisappeared from sight
- disappearedCeased to exist visibly
- extinctNo longer existing
- obsoleteNo longer in use
defunct · dead · forgotten · erased · faded · ruined · destroyed · lost
Stored past experiences
- yesteryearTime not long past
- reminisceRecall past experiences fondly
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- wistfulSadly longing for something
bittersweet · childhood · youth · innocence · faded · sepia · vintage · retro
Thorough change in form
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- before-and-afterPaired images showing change
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- transitionChange from one state
shift · growth · decline · reversal · turnaround · reinvention · makeover · conversion
ex
Previous romantic partner
old · previous · past · one-time · sometime · quondam · lapsed · retired · fallen · bygone
gone
No longer present
- vanishedDisappeared from sight
- disappearedCeased to exist visibly
- extinctNo longer existing
obsolete · defunct · dead · forgotten · erased · faded · ruined · destroyed · lost · mourning
memories
Stored past experiences
- yesteryearTime not long past
- reminisceRecall past experiences fondly
- longingIntense, persistent desire
wistful · bittersweet · childhood · youth · innocence · faded · sepia · vintage · retro
transformation
Thorough change in form
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- before-and-afterPaired images showing change
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
transition · shift · growth · decline · reversal · turnaround · reinvention · makeover · conversion · becoming